Biography

Her stage name is the result of a vicious custody battle between her parents. When A Little Princess (1995) was released she was supposed to be listed with her real last name, Pritzker-Bagley (she added the name Bagley after her mother remarried). However, her father insisted that she be listed as simply Liesel Pritzker and threatened to keep her from being in the film if his request was not honored. She took the last name Matthews after her brother Matthew's name.

The Pritzker family owns Hyatt, a chain that owns or operates 207 hotels worldwide. The family also controls industrial companies, real estate, Royal Carribean Cruise Lines, banks, mining, railroads and the TransUnion credit bureau. The family is said to control a fortune worth more than $15 billion. They have been near the top of Forbes magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the magazine began in 1982.

A judgement was handed down in the lawsuit filed by Liesel and Matthew Pritzker on January 7, 2005. The details have not been made public, but they are both due to receive nearly $500 million out of the family's $15 billion dollar empire. This would make Liesel and Matthew Pritzker the richest young adults in the United States.

Liesel and her husband Ian now live in New York with their daughters. Today Lisel Matthews runs Blue Haven Initiative with Ian. She co-runs The IimPact. Liesel has retired from film acting. She now focuses on business management and stage acting. Liesel married Ian Simmons in 2011.

Uncle is Hyatt Hotels chain founder, Jay Pritzker.